Reference may be made to the following U.S. patents of interest: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,805,322; 3,967,850; 4,216,986; 4,494,784; 4,514,000; 4,648,152; 4,691,958; 4,765,662; 5,018,241.
A variety of door stop units are currently in use or have been proposed. In the above-listed U.S. patents, some show door stops which could be inserted into position or mounted to a door or the door frame and then operated by hand or by foot to secure and release a door from a door stop position. Most of the proposed units are complex in structure and operation. Others require attachment of one or more mechanisms to a door or frame and are thus usable only with a single door once mounted in position.
Portable door stops are currently available which do not have to be mounted in position. Such portable units are normally formed of rubber and are small enough to be hand-carried to a door by the user. The user must then bend down to insert the unit under the door.
There is a presently increasing need for a portable, lightweight door stop which is insertable and removable from a door stop position without bending by the user and with the device being portable for use with more than just a single door. As an example, hotel or motel cleaning personnel must maintain the room doors open while cleaning the rooms. Hotel bellmen, for instance, must also maintain the door in an open position while the luggage is brought into the room.
While there are in use and there has been proposed various door stopping devices, which are affixed or mounted to the door or door frame, such as shown in the above-listed patents, these devices are costly and it is expensive to affix one unit on each door. Furthermore, these fixed devices require additional expenses to maintain them in an operable condition.
A portable, lightweight, door stop which can be readily inserted and removed from an operating position without the user bending also is desirable for use by the elderly, the disabled, or by anyone who cannot or does not want to bend to put the door stop in place or to release it. Preferably, such a device can be readily carried by the user, such as by hooking to his or her belt, so the device can be ready for use. None of the devices shown in the above-listed patents satisfies these needs.